BY A. J. TURNER. 837 



Gen. 2. S y n t o m i s. 



Si/ntomis, Ochs., Eur. Sclimett. ii. p. 103; Hmps., Cat. Lep. Phal. 



i. p.59. 

 Hydrusa, Wlk., Brit. Mus. Cat. i. p. 255; Meyr., Proc. Linn. Soc. 

 N. S. Wales, 1886, p.774. 



Tongue well-developed. Palpi short, drooping, loose-haired. 

 Antennae in ^ shortly pectinate, laminate, serrate, or simple. 

 Tibial spurs very short, posterior tibise with two pairs. Fore- 

 wings with 4 and 5 connate, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 stalked. Hind- 

 wings with 4 absent, 3 and 5 connate or short-stalked, 7 absent. 



T)'pe, S. phegea^ Linn., from Europe. 



A large genus widely distributed in the Eastern hemisphere, 

 the species being most numerous in or near the tropics. Tfie 

 Australian species are all closely related, and many of them 

 subject to variation, while the general pattern is the same in 

 nearly all. Their study is therefore a matter of difficulty, and 

 to understand the species rightly good series of examples are 

 necessary. It is very difficult to construct a satisfactory tabula- 

 tion, some characters being constant in many species, yet variable 

 in others, and that given below may perchance not prove trust- 

 worthy in the case of single abnormal specimens. 



The following description applies to all the Australian species 

 with very few exceptions. 



Head black or orange or yellow-ochreous, in the latter case 

 black between antennae; face orange or yellow-ochreous. Antenna3 

 black, sometimes white at apex. Thorax black, collar '(tegulae) 

 always orange or yellow-ochreous; sometimes a posterior or more 

 spots of similar colour. Abdomen black, with seven orange or 

 yellow-ochreous rings in fj, 6 in 9, of which the first does not 

 extend to ventral surface, and the last one or two may be absent; 

 tuft black or partly or wholly orange or yellow-ochreous. Legs 

 black. Forewings elongate-triangular, costa slightly or moder- 

 ately arched, apex rounded, termen slightly or moderately 

 rounded, oblique; black often with purplish or greenish lustre; 

 with ochreous or orange-ochreous (rarel}'- colourless) spots, vary- 



